lovell



F. w. LOVELL RAIL CLAMP 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 26, 1921 Q +N mw Q F. W. LOVELL RAIL CLAMP Filed Jan. 26, 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet F. W. LOVELL RAIL CLAMP Jan, 13,

F il'ed Jan. 26.. 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Jan. 13, 1925.

UNITED STATES 1,522,731 PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK W. LO'VELL, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE MGMYLER INTER- STATE CDMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

RAIL CLAMP.

Application filed January 26, 1921.

in which event there will generally be a series of the clamps arranged for s1mul-" taneous operation on both legs of the bridge. Clamps have heretofore been provided for traveling bridges largely for the purpose of preventing drifting by wind pressure, but these have not been satisfactory as they havejinvolved the use of operating drums and. cables, and for that and other reasons have not been reliable. Not only have they been uncertain in action, but they lack smoothness of operatlon and get out of order.

The principal object of the present inof control for a series of clamps which embodies the features of simplicity and reliability, and which can be constructed and installed inexpensively.

Further, the invention aims to eliminate the necessity for wire ropes and operating drums, and to provide a construction wherein there is smoothness of operation, both in applying and releasing the clamps, and consequently no springing of the clamp arms. In the accompanying sheets of drawings wherein I have shownthe preferred form of the invention which operates with very high efiiciency, Fig. 1 is a side viewof a traveling bridge to which my invention is applied, the bridge being shown more or less conventionally; Fig. 2 is an end view of the same; Fig. 3 is a view on an enlarged scale showing a part of the bridge leg and the clamp in side elevation the two track rails over which the truck wheels of the leg pass and the lower sill of the leg being shown 111580131011; andFig. 4 is va side elevation of the same-viewing the parts in a plane at right angles to the plane of view of Fig. 8.

Referring now to the drawings, and first to Figs. 1 and 2, 10 represents the body of the bridge along which a trolley with a grab bucket or other material handlig vention is to provide a clamp and a system Serial No. 440,213.

member is adapted to travel, the body of the bridge being supported at one end by a pier leg 11 and by a shear leg 12, both provided with trucks indicated at 13, travellng 'on double tracks 14. Preferably each leg is provided with two clamps, each adapted to grip both rails, and all the clamps are pneumatically operated or con trolled through the medium of a control valve, (not shown) which will be provided in the bridge operators house 15 along with the controllers which control the motors for propelling or moving the bridge along the tracks. Though two clamps for each shear leg are preferred, the number may be increased ordecreased, the system of controlbein'g such that it is readily adapted for operating any number of the clamps.

The construction of all the clamps is the same, and it is illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4, to which reference will now be had.

Each clamp includes a framework comprising four upright members 16, secured between thedouble channels 17 forming the lower sill of each leg. These members 16 are preferably in the form of angles extending both above the sill and beneath the sill,

substantially to the level of the track rails 14.

Eachclamp includes four clamp arms arranged in two pairs, the clamp arms of each pair adapted to engage opposite sides of the head of one of the rails 14. The

outer arms are designated 18, and the two inner arms are designated 19. The four clamp arms 18 and 19 are pivotally' supported by pins 20 and 20. on a pair of angles 21, which in turn are supported by the upright angles 1.6, just beneath the sill. The arms'119 are pivotally supported on fixed pins 20, but the pins 20 on which the outer arms 18 are suspended, are adapted to move back and forth in horizontal slots 22 in the pin supporting angles 21. The lower ends of each pair of clamp arms 18fand 19 are connected together by links 23 which are just'above the rails, and beneath these links the arms are provided with rail clamping jaws 24. This construction allows each pair of clamp arms to swing in unison about their upper pivoted ends, so that they may freely accommodate themselves to any irregularitiesthat may exist in the span or spacing of the two adjacent rails 14. The links 23 and the adjacent portions of the clamp arms swing between guides 25 which hold the clamps against swinging movement longitudinally of the rails, these guides being secured to the lower ends of the upright frame members 16. The clamp is adapted to be set by a counterweight or clampweight 26 which is slidingly mounted between the upper portions of the upright angles 1.6. This counterweight is connected by a bolt 27 extending centrally through the counterweight to the center of two connected toggle arms 28 whose outer ends are connected by the previously mentioned pins 20 to the upper ends of the outer clamp arms 18.

Each clamp is released by an air cylinder 29 which issupported at the top of the upright angles 16, directly above the counterweight 26. the function of the air cylinder being'to lift the coul'iterweight'an'd spread the'rail clamping jaws of the clamp arms so as to release the clamp.

The cylinder 29 is disposed vertically with its plunger 30 projecting upwardly, andthe upper end of the plunger is pinned to a transverse crossbar 31 whose outer ends are connected by rods 32 to opposite sides of the counterweight. The counterweight is somewhat U-shapedaand the rods 32- are pinned to the upper ends of a pair ofeX- tensions 26 which project upwardly from the body portion of the counterweight and are slidingly arranged between opposite pairs of the upright angles 16.

Thus it will be seen that when air is'admitted to the cylinder 29, the counterweight is lifted-and the clamp is released. but when air is exhausted from the cylinder. the counterweight is lowered by gravity and the clamp is applied.

For the purpose of operating the clamps an air compressor and air reservoir will be provided on the bridge, and with this apparatus, suitable-piping extending from the reservoir to all four cylinders-and a single control valve will be employed so that air will be admitted simultaneously to the cyl inders to'release all clamps at the same time or will be exhausted simultaneously from all four cylinders so as to allow the counterweights to set the clamps at the same time.

The compressor and air reservoir which are not shown. are preferably arranged in the o] aera'to1"shouse 15, which is generally at the upper part of the pier leg 11, and from the control valve which. as already stated, will be'located in the operators house, a pipe designated 33 will extend down to the lower part of the pier leg as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2,=and will be connected by branch piping 33 to the air cylinders of the two clamps at the-bottom'of the pier leg.

Likewise, a pipe designated 34 will exand across" the bridge to the shear leg, and down the shear leg, and will be connected in similar fashion to the cylinders of the clamps at the'bottom of the shear leg.

It is apparent from an inspection of Figs. 3 and 4, that the clamps including the counterweight and cylinderfor setting and releasing it, possesses the features of compactness and simplicity. Since there is eliminated such parts as drums, shafting and eablesgfrequently employed heretofore, the clamp is reliable and less liable to get out of order than if the parts above mentioned were employed.

Furthermore, by the elimination of an electric motor and electric power, heretofore generally employed for operating bridge clamps, and substituting direct connected air cylinders, smoothness of operation is obtained to a greater degree than with prior bridge clamps of which Iam aware. Especially is this truebecause when the air is supplied to and exhausted from the cylinders, the counterweights are'lif-ted and lowered smoothly and gradually Without er'king and sudden'ness of action, which has a tendency to spring the clamp arms a's'has been the case heretofore with electricallycontrolled clamps.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. In a rail clamp, rail clamping members.

a vertically movable counterweight connected to the clamp for setting the same, andan air cylinder having a vertically movable plunger directly connected to the counterweight for movement therewith 1 for lifting the same to release the clamp.

2. In a rail clamp,a set of'clamping members, toggle means and a vertically movable counterweight connected thereto for setting the clamp, and an air cylinder mounted adjacent to and above the counterweight and having a vertically movableplunger directly connected to the countcrweightfor actuating the toggle to release the clamp.

3.111 a rail clamp fora traveling bridge having a leg adapted to travel along a track, a framework supported by the leg, rail clamping members supported by the framework, a counterweight above the clamping members and guided by the said framework, said eounterweight' being connected to the clamping membcrs'to set the clamp, and. an air cylinder mounted on the frame above the counterweight having a plunger directly connected to the counterweight to lift the same and release the clamp.

4-. In a rail clamp for atravelingbridge, a framework supported by the bridge; rail clamping members a t'the lower part of the framework, a vertically movable 'count'en weight guided by the framework and"connected to the clamping members to set the clamp, an air cylinder supported in the framework above the counterweight and having its piston connected to thecounten weight to elevate the same and release the clamp.

5. A traveling bridge having a plurality of rail clamps, each including rail clamping members, counterweights connected to the clamping members to set the clamps,

pneumatic means mounted above and adjacent the counterweights and connected thereto to elevate the same so as to release the clamps, and means carried by the bridge for supplying air to and exhausting it from the pneumatic means.

6. A traveling bridge having supporting legs and a plurality of rail clamps carried by both legs of the bridge, each comprising rail clamping members, a counterweight individual to each clamp and connected to the clamping members to set the clamp, an air cylinder on each of the legs individual to each clamp and having a plunger connected to] the counterweight, piping extending from a controlling station on the bridge to the clamps at both legs of the bridge for supplying to and exhausting air from the air cylinders.

7. In a rail clamp for a traveling bridge, a. frame carried by the bridge adjacent the track, a pair of clamping rail jaws carried by the frame, an air cylinder above the clamp having a plunger, a connection between said clamping jaws and plunger including a counterweight, and means for admitting air beneath the plunger to open the jaws and to release the air pressure beneath the plunger to permit the counterweight to close the jaws.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto afiix my signature.

FREDERICK W. 'LOVELL, 

